SickBeard and Newzbin - Example Setup

I know a lot of people use SABNzb for their Usenet/NZB needs, but a lot of people also use Newsbin.  SickBeard has an official thread over at SAB forums, but Newsbin doesn't really get as much love.

 

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Here is a example setup of SickBeard and Newsbin.  A how-to if you will...this is really super easy, but very effective, and includes a significant amount of automation for "set it and forget it".

• Set Sickbeard to fetch NZBs automatically, but save them to a destination...like "C:\NZBHole"

SickBeard Configuration "NZB Black Hole" and destination folder

• Set Newsbin to auto-load NZBs on open, and provide the folder location  (NZBHole, see below graphic)

• Set Newsbin to save your NZB downloads to "master folder" and then have each NZB auto-create it's own sub-folder



Autoload NZB Path is where you set NZBHole - same as SickBeard NZB Black Hole folder

• Set SickBeard to Post-Process your downloads by providing the Newsbin download directory and activating "Rename" and "Scan & Process"

TV Download Dir is your Newsbin Download Directory

So now anytime you open Newsbin, it'll auto-load the NZBs that SickBeard has already retrieved for you.  So you can be fetching your TV and what-have-you hassle-free.  Some people might prefer this type of method to the SickBeard + SAB automation, because it's more of a manual-alright-time-to-download, instead of a this-just-runs-in-the-background.

Basically, as SickBeard runs in the background it fetches the NZB's of your favorite TV shows.  It will save them to the "C:\NZBHole" or whatever you setup.  When you open Newsbin, it will auto-read from that directory and begin download.  In other words, as soon as you open Newsbin, it starts downloading what SickBeard fetched.

Once it's downloaded and saved into your "Newsbin download folder", SickBeard will actively scan that folder, find the TV shows that were downloaded and do some cool stuff with them:

• It will move them to your destination directory (which is likely different than your "Newsbin download folder").  Even if this is another computer on the network (as it is with my setup).
• As the file is moved, it will be renamed, cleaned up, and meta data will be added.  

SickBeard MetaData Configuration

So what you have at the end is basically a free PVR working for you to automatically build your home library of TV.

Cut that cable cord!  (note:  big cable companies do not want you to do this, so get while the getting is good!)

Questions/Comments/Success Stories - let me hear about them in the comments or shoot me a message.  As always, if help is needed, I'll do my best.  Hopefully everything here is self-explanatory!

*note, I'll come back to this post and add some screenshots of setup to help folks (UPDATED!)

How to Upgrade Sickbeard - New Sickbeard Ver 461

SickBeard is rocking out with new releases these days.  Very cool.

If you don't know, SickBeard is an awesome utility to automatically search for, download, and organize TV.  For anybody with a HTPC, or a box streaming video to the TV (that will play file extensions other than some Mac bullsh1t), this utility can be your PVR.  For free.  Do you know Ron Popeil, Ronco?  "Set it and forget it, b1tch."

The latest build is #461, put out a day or so ago.  I've been running this for awhile now, and am upgrading from build #455 (have also done other upgrades in the past).

I figure some people might like a quick how-to on upgrades for SickBeard, since the Wiki is a little thin on the subject.  I could edit/create the page on Wiki, but, meh.

So here's the deal:

• Download the new build zip
• Unzip the files to your installation location (note: i normally don't just unzip them into the prior build...i wouldn't recommend that either...unzip to a new location)
• In your previous sickbeard installation folder, look for the following two files:  config.ini and sickbeard.db
• That is your configuration settings file, and the sickbeard database, respectively
• Copy these files to the new installation directly (where you unzipped the new build)
• Put them in the same directory as sickbeard.exe
• Make sure you have shutdown your old sickbeard if it's running (note: this is prob a good step 1, lol)
• Run Sickbeard.exe

That's it, you're done.  You should be now running the new build, and you are likely looking at a new firefox tab of the SickBeard home screen.

Example of SickBeard home screen - displays TV shows being tracked

To sum up, upgrading is easy.  Download the new build.  Install.  Copy your old Config.ini and Sickbeard.db files to the new install.  Run.

Sick Beard is Sick!!

Review of Sick Beard program for Win/Mac and anything that can run Python.

Sick Beard is by far one of the coolest PVR applications out there.  If you aren't familiar with PVR applications like this one, also see:  Episode Butler

I'm not going to get into a pissing contest over which application is better, suffice to say I use Sick Beard.  Sick Beard is sick.  Need I say more?

PVR applications like Sick Beard serve some really awesome purposes:

1. They catalog any and all existing TV content you may already have saved
2. It organizes (moves/renames/etc) your TV content for you
3. Adds NFO, picture, and other data files to TV content for your favorite media library
4. Shows you any missing episodes, special features, or extras you may be missing 
5. Shows you when the next/upcoming episodes are for your TV shows (day/time/etc)

But the best part of Sick Beard is the automation.  Sick Beard provides integration with NZB search/index and usenet downloaders (SabNZB, Newsbin, etc).  This is where the "PVR" comes in - kinda like TiVO - you tell Sick Beard what to look out for, and it takes care of the rest.

SickBeard allows you to manage TV Show downloads

You can go from TV Show name or Episode to...Fetched NZB file from search provider to...
Usenet reader download to...
File renamed, moved, and added to media library

Example of SickBeard file/folder structure after processing

Without interruption.

Three cheers for Sick Beard!!

note:  check out my other post on integrating SickBeard with Newsbin for more screenshots!